| FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions |
GENERAL QUESTIONS
What is personal history?
Personal history is the preservation of a person’s life story, memoirs, or life values in a tangible form. Île aux Cannes offers preservation through audio CD, photo CD, or video DVD. Personal history projects may also be smaller in scope - covering a specific event, or a particular area of someone’s life. For instance, a wedding, an annniversary, the birth and first year(s) of a child; a tribute video for a retirement party or an awards banquet, etc.
Is there such a thing as a “place history?”
Absolutely! Businesses, historic places - all have fascinating stories to tell. Digital archiving, in the form of digitizing documents and photographs (this does not harm or alter them), audio and video interviews–these are wonderful ways to preserve the history of a place, business, or family “thus far” for current enjoyment and future generations.
Why should I do this? Why would anyone be interested in my life story?
Every life is interesting; everyone has a story to tell! Wouldn’t it be wonderful to know what your great-grandparents’ lives were really like? What if you could hear it in their own words, or see and hear them telling you about it? We all tend to think that we lead average, uninteresting lives. Nothing could be further from the truth. You probably can remember a family member or loved one you loved to listen to as a child. Their stories were simple; of their past life, and perhaps tales of your family in earlier years. Your life will be fascinating to your children’s children...and their children’s children.
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| QUESTIONS ABOUT PHOTOS, FILM, SCANNING AND ARCHIVING
I have a bunch of old photos. Is there a way to use them in a video project?
Absolutely! To use photos, we scan them and resize them for video. Depending on the age and status of the photos, you may want to have us scan them. You can also look into having them scanned and put on disc - many drugstores with photo services can do this. This is usually fine for snapshots, etc. However, if you have one copy of a photo that is irreplacable, you may not want to trust it out of your hands! In such cases, we set up an appointment to scan your photo (on-site scanning is available) and it remains in your possession.
If we scan your photos, we will provide you with a disc of the scans for you to keep.
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I have some very old photos that I want restored,
and don’t want to leave them or send them off. I’m not ready to do a
personal history project yet, but I do want to do something with these
photos. What can you do?
We're happy to work with you on
photo restoration. We’ll need an idea of how many photos you have, and
we’ll set up an appointment to scan them for you. We’ll restore them,
and provide you with a CD (and copies, if requested) with the images.
We can provide prints, and with the image files, you will be able to
have additional copies made in the future.
I have some old 8 mm films and Super 8. Can those be used in a video?
Most likely they can, depending on the condition of the film. We can transfer both 8 mm and Super 8 to digital.
Can you use the VHS tapes of my granddaughter’s baptism in a video or photo montage?
Yes, we can. |
QUESTIONS ABOUT AUDIO VIDEO BIOGRAPHIES
What are some advantages of creating a personal history video?
Video captures the moment. Imagine if you had a clear video of your great-grandfather, with his voice, his words. Imagine if he were going about his daily business, talking about what meant most to him.
Video production options range from a simple interview to more detailed productions including several interviews, location video, scanned documents and photos, music, slides and titles, and more. Productions can be tailored to suit your desires, available memorabilia, photos, and documents, family involvement and budget.
I’m not sure I want a personal historian to interview me. What if he or she pushes into something I don’t want to talk about?
No one will force you to say anything. Before the interview (before the “tape rolls”), we will briefly review what you want to talk about, and you can also say “I don’t want to go into ___.” You have the final control over this, and remember, it can be edited!
I want to do a personal history of my family. I don’t know who will agree to being interviewed, and I’m afraid some won’t want to be on camera. Is there any way we can do this?
Certainly! If someone is camera-shy, we can record only their audio and use still photos for the video in this section. Or you might look at an audio-only production. Remember, too, that we can include family photos, even incorporate earlier family videos and films. And it’s very possible that once family members see the project, they will change their minds about being on-camera!
Isn’t that too late, though? The project is finished!
Some people choose to do these projects in “steps,” because of time, budget, or family involvement! Sometimes, after seeing the project, Great-Aunt Lucille pipes up and says “you know, honey, I did find G-maw’s photo album after all!” Digital media can be added to and edited in the future.
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How much does a personal history cost?
Prices vary widely, because there are so many variables involved.
Variables include:
–Is it a video or audio project? Photo restoration? A photo montage?
For video projects, variables include:
–Length of the project and number of hours of video shot
–Number and type of interviews required
–Location(s) and complexity of set-ups (lighting, sound, etc.)
–Availability and use of additional media (scanned photos, films, etc.)
–Slides, titles
–Music
–Complexity in editing
...and more. An important thing to remember, though, is that a personal history project can be tailored to your budget. It can also be expanded at a later date. For family histories, the cost can often be split among several family members who believe in the importance of preserving their family’s legacy.
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